This message is for all of us who spend time living, hiking, camping,
backpacking, rafting, fishing and so on...in areas where wild animals make
their homes. Please help distribute this message:

IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF WILD ANIMALS
THAT THEY ARE NOT FED BY HUMANS.

This includes bears, squirrels, deer, birds, raccoons, marmots...all wildlife.
Rangers, naturalists,
biologists and caretakers in virtually every preserve and park in America
can attest to animals dying because of being fed by humans. In general, feeding
is unhealthy for native wildlife for many reasons, including the following:

· Human food does not contain the nutrients that wild animals need
· Many animals die of starvation after consuming food packaging
· Animals used to being fed become habituated to human-provided food
& alter their foraging behavior
· Animals fed by humans are drawn into heavy traffic areas seeking handouts,
and are killed by vehicles
· Birds who are fed cluster unnaturally and are vulnerable to
density-dependent diseases
· Many animals (including squirrels & marmots) require more moisture
than is in the typical human handout; they suffer dehydration, lose fur patches
and subsequently die of exposure
· As populations of raccoons, skunks & others enlarge unnaturally
from being fed, potential for rabies, distemper and other density-dependent
diseases increases
· Populations of some species fed by humans become unnaturally large,
putting undue pressure on less aggressive species (e.g., raccoons, skunks
and jays reducing or eliminating local songbird & amphibian
populations)
· Large predators who become human-food habituated are considered a
threat to humans, and are often killed by government agencies as a result
of this habituation.

Every year, bears are killed by various government agencies because they
have become habituated to humans and human food. This is a direct result
of careless humans creating so-called "problem bears". There is many thousands
of dollars in damage annually to vehicles, camping gear and backpacking gear
by bears who have learned to associate humans' possessions with food
availability. If you live in wildlife habitat, please secure garbage, pet
food and other food sources. When you are picnicking, car camping and
backpacking, please use the food storage methods recommended by the local
agency (proper methods vary by location & "local bear conditions").
If you are planning to backpack and are not able to use a bear-resistant
food container or use locally-recommended food storage methods, please do
not go. Remember: "A fed (by humans) bear is a DEAD (by humans)
bear!"

Other, less controversial animals are also at risk. Deer (and other animals)
who approach humans and eat from their hands are not tame; they are bold.
Deer have razor-sharp hooves and antlers, and can severely injure or kill
a human with a strike. They also suffer health consequences from being fed
by humans.

Please help native wildlife by allowing them to stay alive and
healthy!

Copyright 1996 by Georgia Stigall. Permission to redistribute in its entirety
is granted - as long as this copyright statement is included - for
the purpose of helping both wildlife and humans.

For a copy of this bulletin in "flyer" format that may
be used for distributing this critical message on behalf of
wildlife, send an SASE with a note to the postal address below.